Tethered ball propelling apparatus, targets, and scoring markers

ABSTRACT

A game of skill consisting of a kit-box containing parallel rows of tracks each with a numbered scale thereon, a detachable marker for each track and a separable propelling device operated by the player and comprising a bowl mounted on a support, said bowl provided with a cylindrical vertical passage and numbered holes, in the shape of cups, surrounding said passage, the propelling device consisting of a piston on the top of which is fixed an elastic band connected to a ball, which is required to fall into one of the cups when propelled by the piston set in action by the player, who, after his turn is over, moves the marker by the number of points equal to the number marked on that particular cup.

United States Patent [191 Olivier Nov. 6, 1973 1 TETHERED BALLPROPELLING 7 3,679,208 7/1972 Carrano 273/144 R APPARATUS, TARGETS, ANDSCORING f; g an MARKERS 2,784,970 3/1957 Heiner 273/94 R [76] Inventor:Gabriel Olivier, 4 Chemin du P1313116 1003, Vaud, PrimaryExaminerRichard C. Pinkham swltzel'land Assistant ExaminerMarvih Siskind22 Filed: Dec. 30 197 Att0rney-Emory L. GI'Off el al.

[21] Appl. No.: 214,280 .[57] ABSTRACT I A 1 k1] on t'n of k't-bo ntainnam]- [52] 273/97 273/144 273/134 lel iia z s f traclfs ez a cfh w ithsnumb rt a scale tl e reon, 124/11 124/13 R a detachable marker for eachtrack and a separable Fleld of Search R, 97, p p i g device p a the p yand p i 273/101 144 144 138 94 ing a bowl mounted on a support, saidbowl provided 134 134 3 124/16 17 with a cylindrical vertical passageand numbered holes,

in the shape of cups, surrounding said passage, the pro- [56] ReerencesC'ted pelling device consisting of a piston on the top of which UNITEDSTATES PATENTS is fixed an elastic band connected to a ball, which isre- 795,049 7/1905 Maier 273/95 R quired to fallinto one of the cupswhen propelled by 3,358,998 12/1967 Goldfarb 273/95 R the piston set inaction by the player, who, after his turn 3,423,090 l/l969 Pfund n273/134 G is over, moves the marker by the number of points 3,672,6766/1972 Goldfarb 273/101 equal to the number marked on that particular2,140,193 12/1938 Weinberger... 273/94 R v 1,025,465 5/1912 Hill 273/1015 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures RF 3' 52 Y 3O |7/' 4 Pmimtuuuv 619753770.272

FIG. 3.

Y i 3 J II I N I q 4 FHE HSH EHE FIG. 4.

VIII/1,1111, 9

. l TETHERED BALL PROPELLING APPARATUS, TARGETS, AND SCORING MARKERS Thepresent invention concerns a game of skill. It is distinctive in so faras it consists of a kit-box containing parallel rows of tracks with anumbered scale, a detachable marker for each track and a separablepropelling device worked by the player and made of a cylindrical box orbowl mounted on a support, the box in its central part being providedwith a cylindrical vertical passage and numbered holes in the shape ofcups, surrounding said passage, the propelling device consisting of apiston on the top of which is fixed an elastic band connected to a ball,which is required to fall into one of the cups when propelled by thepiston set in action by the player, who, after his turn is over, movesthe marking pointer by the number of points equal to the number markedon that particular cup.

The attached drawing illustrates a preferred embodiment together with amodification of this game of skill which constitutes the invention.

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view along the line I--I in FIG. 2;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of FIG. 1 with the kit-box cover having beenremoved;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view along the line III-III in FIG. 2;

FIGS. 4 to 6 illustrate, on an enlarged scale, the detachable markerplaced on a track;

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view following the line IV--IV of FIG. 5;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 4;

FIGS. 7 and 8 show one form of propelling device, FIG. 7 being avertical sectional view along the line VII- VII of FIG. 8, and FIG. 8being a plan view of FIG.

FIGS. 9 and 10 show a variation of the propelling device shown in FIGS.7 and 8; FIG. 9 being a vertical sectional-view following the lineIX--IX of FIG. 10 and FIG. 10 being a partial sectional view of FIG. 9.

The game of skill in working order shown in FIGS. 1 to 8 consists of akit-box l of which the bottom 2 is provided with a transverse partition.3 which divides the box into compartments 4 and 5. In compartment 4 ofthe kit-box the game itself is placed while compartment 5 is intendedfor accommodating the games accessories. The kit-box is provided with acover 6.

Between the partition 3 andthe side wall 7 of the kitbox 1 are placedsix parallel tracks 8. The middle of track 8, which is rectangular inshape, has on its upper face a serrated surface 9, in the form of 'arack-bar, for supporting the marker 10 (FIGS. 4 to 6), consisting of aplatform 11, on which is fixed the figurine of a racehorse 12. One ofthe side edges of the platform 1 1 contains a v-shaped opening 13,exposing to view, when the pointer 10 is placed on track 8, a mark r forspring 19 in the shape of a pincer, the lever and the spring being ableto rotate on a common-axle 20. The end-part 21 of the spring 19 is incontact with a pushbutton 22 which is situated on the sloping side 23 ofthe pedestal 15.

The lever 18 is provided with a beak 24, in the shape of a hook. Thebreak engages in the notch 25 of a piston 26 fixed to the column 16,said column being screwed to the lower side of the bowl 17.

The bowl 17, cylindrical in shape, contains, in its middle a passagesituated in the extension of the colurnn l6, and includes four cups 29bearing numerals 1-4 distributed in the shape of a cross between thecentral passage 28 and the surrounding side wall 30 of the bowl 17. I

On the head of the piston 26 is fixed one end of the elastic band 31,the other end of which is joined to a ball 32 shown in dotted lines inFIGS. 7 and 9.

The pedestal l5 and the bowl containing cups 29 forming the propellingdevice 14 are placed inside the compartment 5 of the kit-box l in themanner shown in FIG. 2.

In order to play the game of skill herein described, thevbutton22 ispushed in the direction of the arrow f (FIG. 7). This action will freethe beak 24 from the notch 25, which will move the piston 26 upward bythe release of the spring 27 and finally it will project the ball 32tethered by the elastic band 31, upwardly and into one of the cups 29.The number marked on this example, the number 19 shown in (FIG. 5)engraved on the bottom of the kit-box by the side of the related track.Each track is thus given its own marking scale numbered from 1 to 50 asshown in FIG. 2.

The game is played by utilizing the propelling device I cup willindicate to the player who is, for example, allotted track 8 note FIG.2, by how many points he can advance the marking pointer 10, this movebeing calculated as seen at point r through the v-shaped opening 13. Theplayer whose pointer 10, corresponding to the track allotted to him,arrives first at the number 50, has won the game. ethered A variation ofthe propelling device 14 is shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, wherein thepedestal 15 of the propel-- ling device may be replaced by an inflatablebulb 33, fixed on the lower side of the column 34, this column beingscrewed to the box of the cups 17. When the bulb is pressed the piston35 provided with a guiding cylinder 36 will hurl the ball 32 in the samemanner as described above. I

With the exception of the two springs 19 and 27 which are made of metal,all other components of this game are made of plastic material.

The game of skill has a special advantage in being made in sectionsmaking it easy for packaging and storing.

I claim:

1. A game of skill comprising a kit-box including a plurality ofparallel rows of tracks therein, a numbered scale on the bottom of saidkit-box beside each of said tracks a detachable marker movably mountedon said tracks, means for indicating the distance said marker is to bemoved along its related track, said means including a propelling devicecomprising a pedestal including a hollow supporting column and a hollowbase, a bowl member on the top of said supporting column, said bowlmember having a central opening communicating with said supportingcolumn and a plurality of numbered cups surrounding said centralopening, a lever pivotally mounted in the base of said pedestal, saidlever including a hook at one end and a push button engaging itsopposite end, a piston slidably mounted in said supporting column andbase, said piston having a notch at its lower end, first spring meansnormally urging said piston upwardly through the central opening in saidbowl member, second spring means normally biasing said lever so that itshook engages in the notch in the lower end of said piston when saidpiston is in its inactive position, a ball tethered to the top of saidpiston and housed within said central opening in the bowl member whensaid piston is in its inactive position, whereby upon pressing said pushbutton the hook of said lever is released from engagement with saidnotch, said piston is urged upwardly by said first spring means and saidball is propelled upwardly to fall into one of said numbered cupsindicating the number of points on said scale the markeris to be moved.

2. A game of skill according to claim 1 wherein said kit-box includes atransverse partition providing two compartments, one of saidcompartments containing said parallel rows of tracks and the other ofsaid compartments housing said propelling device. I

3. A game of skill according to claim 2 wherein the upper surface ofsaid tracks is serrated.

4. A game of skill according to claim 1 wherein said bowl member isdetachably mounted on said supporting column.

5. A game of skill according to claim 1 wherein said marker includes aplatform on which a figurine is fixed, said platform having a V-shapedopening in one edge number thereon.

1. A game of skill comprising a kit-box including a plurality ofparallel rows of tracks therein, a numbered scale on the bottom of saidkit-box beside each of said tracks a detachable marker movably mountedon said tracks, means for indicating the distance said marker is to bemoved along its related track, said means including a propelling devicecomprising a pedestal including a hollow supporting column and a hollowbase, a bowl member on the top of said supporting column, said bowlmember having a central opening communicating with said supportingcolumn and a plurality of numbered cups surrounding said centralopening, a lever pivotally mounted in the base of said pedestal, saidlever including a hook at oNe end and a push button engaging itsopposite end, a piston slidably mounted in said supporting column andbase, said piston having a notch at its lower end, first spring meansnormally urging said piston upwardly through the central opening in saidbowl member, second spring means normally biasing said lever so that itshook engages in the notch in the lower end of said piston when saidpiston is in its inactive position, a ball tethered to the top of saidpiston and housed within said central opening in the bowl member whensaid piston is in its inactive position, whereby upon pressing said pushbutton the hook of said lever is released from engagement with saidnotch, said piston is urged upwardly by said first spring means and saidball is propelled upwardly to fall into one of said numbered cupsindicating the number of points on said scale the marker is to be moved.2. A game of skill according to claim 1 wherein said kit-box includes atransverse partition providing two compartments, one of saidcompartments containing said parallel rows of tracks and the other ofsaid compartments housing said propelling device.
 3. A game of skillaccording to claim 2 wherein the upper surface of said tracks isserrated.
 4. A game of skill according to claim 1 wherein said bowlmember is detachably mounted on said supporting column.
 5. A game ofskill according to claim 1 wherein said marker includes a platform onwhich a figurine is fixed, said platform having a V-shaped opening inone edge overlying said numbered scale to expose a particular numberthereon.